For the Germans, taking the field with cartridges in the classic US size of .222, in metric 5,6 mm, had been the signal of a new course of thought that came about twenty years after the end of GM II.
di Emmanuel Tabasso
Twenty years after the conclusion of the GM II in 1965, the RWS showed its 5,6 × 57, the first German of this caliber except for the 5,6 × 61 Vom Hofe of '37, not very popular despite its exceptional performance. In 1968 the DWM also took to the field with a similar cartridge, not as vigorous as the competitor, but equally worthy of attention. The full wording was 5,6x50R Magnum where the caliber and suffix showed how much the overseas verb had been taken into account: the speed of the small 3,48-3,60 g (50-55 g) bullets and the terminal effects induced were now a clear reality, together with the intrinsic precision, the trajectory tension over medium distances, the very low recoil and therefore the possibility of chambering in small arms. Precisely these last considerations had established themselves as the basis of the project which, in an unusual way, was the first to give birth to the cartridge with a flanged case, suitable for overhead doors such as light kipplaufs or substantial drilling.
The company provided gunsmiths with a cutter to modify the original chamber in .222 Rem., A cartridge which, since its appearance in the 50s, had immediately made proselytes in shooting and hunting, especially the marmot. Thus, at the time, similar rifles were given a more powerful voice which, maintaining the intrinsic precision appropriate to the hairy rodent, extended the range of action to roe deer and chamois within 250 m and maybe even a little further: let's go back to focusing on the concept of placing the ball at the right point, which is well feasible thanks to the ballistic skills and the ease with which the firearm is mastered. We remember the killing on site at about 150 m of a sturdy mouflon operated by a friend thanks to a refill with a perfectly placed 55 g Hornady bullet.
To complete the description of this cartridge we add that after about a year the version with fluted case, suitable for rifles, was presented. The factory loading of the RWS ammunition provides the Teil Mantel bullet of 3,6 g (55 gr) for which we have detected a V / 2 of 975 m / sec with a 50 cm barrel and of 985-993 with a 63,5 cm barrel. These are the charging and speed data with the two measures:
50 cm barrel
Dust gr Ball V / 2 in m / sec
IMR 4064 x 28,0 gr Hornady SP 55 gr 999-992
ICIR2 x 27,0 gr Hornady SP from 55 gr 980
IMR 4064 x 27,7 gr Speer of 63 gr 969-972
63,5 cm barrel
IMR 4064 x 27,3 gr Hornady SP 55 gr 992-994
N / 140 x 28,0 gr Hornady SP from 55 gr 1035
ICIR2 x 27,5 gr Hornady SP of 55 gr. 1040-1021-1060
Data without our liability or guarantee
As you can see with the 63,5 cm barrel, in the best speed solution with 55 gr of bullet the 200 kgm of E / 2 is touched and you always and in any case remain around 180 kgm, more than enough to engage the roe deer and the chamois at a distance of 200 m and beyond. The ball with a correct placement very rarely comes out in larger animals and the complete transfer of energy allows it to be successful even with these prey.
There is no story for overhead doors: the R version with collar is ideal and try a bit to think of a Bockdrilling with smooth barrel in 20/76, major rifled in 7x75R Vom Hofe or a revived 8x65R Brenneke and then the 5,6, 50xXNUMXR DWM to complete.